Steak and Kidney Pudding
"- Moderate Oven. Time, 3-4 hours. Ingredients. --3/4lb. of meat; 1/4lb. of ox-kidney; 1 teaspoonful of flour; 1/2 teaspoonful of salt; 1/4 teaspoonful of pepper. For the pastry.--6ozs. of flour; 3ozs. of suet; 1/2 teaspoonful of baking powder; pinch of salt; cold water to mix.
- Method.--Make the pastry as follows: sieve the flour, salt, and baking powder; shred the suet finely and mix with the flour, add sufficient water to make a stiff paste. Cut off a small piece for the lid, roll the rest out, and line a greased basin with it.
- Wipe the meat, remove all fat and gristle, sut it into strips about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Mix the flour, salt and pepper on a plate and dip the strips of meat in. Put a small piece of kidney and a tiny piece of fat on each strip and roll them up. Fill the lined basin with these rolls, adding any trimmings of kidney or meat, shake over the seasoned flour left on the plate and half fill the basin with stock or water. Put on a lid of pastry, seal the edges well together, cover with greased paper, and steam from 3-4 hours. This pudding may be varied by adding onions, carrots, turnips or potatoes washed, peeled and cut into dice, or cooked haircot beans and a little bacon.
- To Dish.--Serve the pudding in the basin with a napkin pinned round.
- Reasons for failure.--If the water is not boiling when the pudding is put into the steamer, and kept boiling the whole time, the pudding will not be properly cooked and the pastry will be heavy. As the water in the pan boils away fresh boiling water must be added."
The "Daily Mail" Cookery Book, 1927
notes
I followed this recipe to the letter only to find that the pudding was a little too doughy for several people's liking. The pastry turned out well but rather the flour dipped meat came out rather pasty, though this helped it hold together nicely and if such things do not bother one, it was a good pudding.
For todays pallet, I would suggest not flouring the meat, but rather using the flour and broth before hand to make a gravy to pour in before closing the lid. Much like how some of us make modern baked puddings.
We did not add any extra ingredients, but it is agreed that onions would very likely go well in this dish.
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